How To Soothe A Teething Baby

Teething baby gums can be painful for our precious little ones. This is a normal developmental stage for a baby. We know listening to them cry can be uncomfortable.

Knowing how to sooth a teething baby at night and during the day will benefit the mental anguish of parents. And possibly a few extra minutes of sleep.

The indicators to watch for can help parents discover early signs and symptoms. Have the knowledge to know what to do when teething commences.

Knowing what to do and when can ease irritability and fussiness down the road. We wanted to shed some light on how to sooth a teething baby that is trying to grow healthy new choppers.

We will look at the teething age of babies, signs and symptoms, some simple home remedies and other alternatives, signs of teething in breastfed babies, and how lessen the irritability when the journey of the first set of baby teeth begins.

What’s The Teething Age Of Babies?

Teething at 3 months is too early if you’re wondering when teething starts. Although signs it's approaching can begin to take shape. Babies may begin to feel the discomfort of the teething process as early as 3 months. The usual period to expect when baby teething time begins is typically at 6 months (but times can widely vary).

There’s no specific age babies start teething. What we do know is the lower central incisors are first to make an appearance. That is the two bottom front teeth. Even though there is no specific pinpointed time for your baby to begin teething, there is a specific baby teething order.

A baby teething timeline: (considering what an average median would look like) would look similar to this: lower central incisors (6 months), upper central incisors (8 months), lower and upper lateral incisors (10 months), first molars (14 months), and canines (18 months).

Infants develop at their own pace so if timing is off a bit there’s no need to worry. If a child doesn’t have their first tooth by age 18 months contact your toddler’s doctor.

What Are Teething Baby Symptoms?

There can be a variety of things to look for in teething babies. Symptoms include irritability, sore and tender gums, being cranky, crying spells, and disrupted patterns in eating and sleeping.

Some go through this transition painlessly and may just drool more and want to chew on things. Another sign is loss of appetite, cheek rubbing or ear pulling.

A baby teething with fever and diarrhea are not indicative of teething researchers suggest. For teething in babies symptoms are found in the mouth and gums only not in the rest of the body (according to research from the news network at mayoclinic.org).

What Are Signs Of Teething In Breastfed Babies?

Teething baby signs in those who are breastfed are (for the most part) the same as other babies. Gum pain, difficulty sleeping, irritability and bright red or flushed cheeks can be a gauge. A rash or chaffing may develop from excessive drooling.

A baby may latch differently too when they are starting to teeth. They may scrape teeth across the nipple when latching and de-latching. Rubbing a cold and wet washcloth along baby gums before latching to nurse may help desensitizing the pain and prevent scraping.

If your baby bites while nursing, conditioned learning is a way to discourage that behavior. If they begin to bite, remove them from the breast. Over time your infant will associate biting with the end of feeding time and will soon avoid the action in order to keep feeding.

If nipples become cracked and sore from the occasional baby bite you may want to look into getting a nipple cream for soothing relief to make feeding more comfortable. Make sure anything used is approved by the FDA.

What Are Home Remedies For Teething Babies?

One home remedy is to get a washcloth wet and let it sit in the freezer from 20-40 minutes. Then let them chew on it. This can help soreness and reducing redness causing un-comfortability.

You can use teething baby toys such as one made of natural rubber or a silicone teething ring. These offer counter-pressure to the pressure of the teeth trying to break the gum’s surface, creating relief. Be careful with ones filled with liquid since they could break under pressure from the gnawing.

The pressure may ease their temporary discomfort. Try hard foods if your munchkin is consuming solid foods. A chilled, peeled carrot or cucumber will do the trick. Try a chilled piece of banana if they are at least 12 months old.

Don’t provide an item that could break into small pieces and become a choking hazard, of course. Products that can be put in the freezer (for a very short time) are best for baby teething since the cold numbness delivers proper added relief to those tender little gums. Don’t use anything frozen solid such as popsicles or ice.

Recently, a new father of a teething child said he used a big strip of beef jerky for when his son was first teething. There were no teeth in the mouth so he couldn’t rip off any part of it, he said. A large enough chunk was used as to not break off into pieces and become a choking hazard as well.

Over-the-Counter Teething Remedies

These are an avenue you want to take like a baby teething gel, do not use any medications that use the pain reliever with benzocaine or lidocaine. 

Benzocaine and lidocaine (according to mayoclinic.org) are ingredients in these products and have been associated with a rare condition (but serious) that reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood. The condition is called Methemoglobinemia. Say that 3 times fast.

Signs and symptoms of this condition can include headaches, confusion, shortness of breath and rapid heartbeat. So if gel for baby teething is something you swear by, make sure it’s safe and double check the ingredients. Always a good idea to check with your child’s doctor before introducing any medications whatsoever.

Sensitive Gums of Babies

The progression of your toddler through this phase of life can be painful or painless. To grow their first set of teeth is a special time growing up. All 20 of the baby’s primary teeth are already in their jaw at birth. Even though there may be some discomfort during this process, it should be a happy, healthy experience for both toddler and parent.

With armed knowledge to navigate through any difficulties during this period, our info should help to facilitate a smooth transition if not help you pick the best path to move forward with the process.

If you decide to search out more information, please do. Be well-informed on you and your baby’s journey. We’re happy to be a small part of your research to help stimulate happy memories in watching your baby grow.